Problem: Let $A,$ $B,$ $C$ be the angles of a triangle.  Evaluate
\[\begin{vmatrix} \sin^2 A & \cot A & 1 \\ \sin^2 B & \cot B & 1 \\ \sin^2 C & \cot C & 1 \end{vmatrix}.\]
Explanation: We can expand the determinant as follows:
\begin{align*}
\begin{vmatrix} \sin^2 A & \cot A & 1 \\ \sin^2 B & \cot B & 1 \\ \sin^2 C & \cot C & 1 \end{vmatrix} &= \sin^2 A \begin{vmatrix} \cot B & 1 \\ \cot C & 1 \end{vmatrix} - \cot A \begin{vmatrix} \sin^2 B & 1 \\ \sin^2 C & 1 \end{vmatrix} + \begin{vmatrix} \sin^2 B & \cot B \\ \sin^2 C & \cot C \end{vmatrix} \\
&= \sin^2 A (\cot B - \cot C) - \cot A (\sin^2 B - \sin^2 C) + (\sin^2 B \cot C - \cot B \sin^2 C) \\
&= \sin^2 A (\cot B - \cot C) + \sin^2 B (\cot C - \cot A) + \sin^2 C (\cot A - \cot B).
\end{align*}In general,
\begin{align*}
\cot x - \cot y &= \frac{\cos x}{\sin x} - \frac{\cos y}{\sin y} \\
&= \frac{\cos x \sin y - \sin x \cos y}{\sin x \sin y} \\
&= \frac{\sin (y - x)}{\sin x \sin y}.
\end{align*}Then the determinant is equal to
\begin{align*}
&\sin^2 A (\cot B - \cot C) + \sin^2 B (\cot C - \cot A) + \sin^2 C (\cot A - \cot B) \\
&= \sin^2 A \cdot \frac{\sin (C - B)}{\sin B \sin C} + \sin^2 B \cdot \frac{\sin (A - C)}{\sin A \sin C} + \sin^2 C \cdot \frac{\sin (B - A)}{\sin A \sin B} \\
&= \frac{\sin^3 A \sin (C - B) + \sin^3 B \sin (A - C) + \sin^3 C \sin (B - A)}{\sin A \sin B \sin C}.
\end{align*}Now,
\begin{align*}
\sin^3 A &= \sin A \sin^2 A \\
&= \sin (180^\circ - B - C) \sin^2 A \\
&= \sin (B + C) \sin^2 A,
\end{align*}so $\sin^3 A \sin (C - B) = \sin^2 A \sin (C - B) \sin (B + C).$  Then
\begin{align*}
\sin (C - B) \sin (B + C) &= (\sin C \cos B - \cos C \sin B)(\sin B \cos C + \cos B \sin C) \\
&= \cos B \sin B \cos C \sin C + \cos^2 B \sin^2 C - \sin^2 B \cos^2 C - \cos B \sin B \cos C \sin C \\
&= \cos^2 B \sin^2 C - \sin^2 B \cos^2 C \\
&= (1 - \sin^2 B) \sin^2 C - \sin^2 B (1 - \sin^2 C) \\
&= \sin^2 C - \sin^2 B \sin^2 C - \sin^2 B + \sin^2 B \sin^2 C \\
&= \sin^2 C - \sin^2 B,
\end{align*}so
\[\sin^3  A \sin (C - B) = \sin^2 A (\sin^2 C - \sin^2 B).\]Similarly,
\begin{align*}
\sin^3 B \sin (A - C) &= \sin^2 B (\sin^2 A - \sin^2 C), \\
\sin^3 C \sin (B - A) &= \sin^2 C (\sin^2 B - \sin^2 A).
\end{align*}Therefore,
\begin{align*}
&\sin^3 A \sin (C - B) + \sin^3 B \sin (A - C) + \sin^3 C \sin (B - A) \\
&= \sin^2 A (\sin^2 C - \sin^2 B) + \sin^2 B (\sin^2 A - \sin^2 C) + \sin^2 C (\sin^2 B - \sin^2 A) \\
&= 0,
\end{align*}which means the determinant is equal to $\boxed{0}.$